Radio antenna located in outer edge of running board



March 23, 1937. H GEYER I 2,074,386

RADIO ANTENNA LOCATED IN OUTER EDGE OF RUNNING BOARD Filed Nov. 9, 1955 INVENTOR Ham/ 1 U Sly/er Patented Mar. 23, 1 9 3? PATENT OFFICE RADIO ANTENNA LOCATED IN OUTER EDGE OF RUNNING r Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton,

eral Motors Corporation,

Duration of Delaware Ohio, assignor to Gen Detroit, Mich, a cor- Application November 9, 1935, Serial No. 49,002

4 Claims. (01. 250-335 This invention relates to an automobile running board having a radio antenna element supported and insulated by a resilient rubber portion of the running board. j

An object of this invention is to provide an automotive radio antenna located adjacent the extreme outer edge of the running board whereby to avoid the shielding effect of other metal parts of the vehicle and to render the antenna less susceptible to interference from other electrical circuits and spark impulses of the automobile.

- Another object is to provide an antenna which is completely protected against water, wind, ice,

snow, etc, contacting same when in use, and which is very substantially protected against physical damage thereto by striking foreign objects or raised projections in the roadway. Still another object is to provide such an antenna that is very simple and economical to manufacture and install upon the automotive vehicle and which does not interfere with any other parts or accessories on the vehicle or use any space which can be normally used in any other Way.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is an isometric view of the running boards, front fenders, radio set and the antenna connections thereto shown in their relative positions.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front end portion of the left running board and shows one way of connecting the antenna wire to the metal shielded lead-in wire.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 and shows the location of the antenna wire relative to other metal portions of the running board.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, l designates the sheet metal plate, preferably steel, of the running board proper which extends downwardly at its outer margin and is preferably flared outas at 2, for purposes hereinafter described, 3 is a reinforcing or stiffening metal channel extending longitudinally adjacent the outer margin of the board, 4 is the molded soft rubber step covering which is preferably vulcanized directly upon the steel plate I. 5 is the outer marginal protective guard or bead and is molded of resilient rubber preferably integral with the step covering 4 and bonded by vulcanization to the flared metal portion 2 whereby it is substantially supported against such great downward deflection as might sooner or later tear it or shear it off.

Within the extreme outer portion 6 of the resilient rubber bead 5 there is embedded a preferably flat flexible strip [0 of metal, preferably copper, which extends substantially the full length of the board and which constitutes the antenna wire for picking up the radio waves. It is to be noted that this antenna wire Ill is spaced laterally outward beyond any metal portion of the running board and thus avoids to the maximum extent the radio shielding effect of all other metalparts of th" running board and other metal portions of the vehicle. The further the wire H] can be spaced laterally outwardly from the other metal parts of the vehicle the more efiicient it will serve to pick up the radio signals and the less interference it will experience from the other electric circuits of the ignition system of the vehicle. Such a spacing of two inches from the metal part 2 has been found to give very good results. The rubber bead 5 may be easily made more than two inches wide without making it excessively heavy or costly and still provide sufficient strength for the purposes described.

The antenna wire l0 may be conveniently molded in situ just barely within the outer edge of the rubber portion, or the rubber portion may be molded with a slit ll therein, within which the flat wire I0 is inserted after vulcanization of the rubber. Or, if desired, the rubber may be molded solid and the slit ll cut therein afterwards for the reception of the flat wire Ill. In all cases the antenna wire II] will be substantially completely protected from being Wet by water, ice, or snow thrown up by the auto wheels and also will be fully protected from physical damage by striking foreign objects. It will be noted that the fiat wire I0 is quite flexible and hence will readily flex with the rubber bead 5 when that is distorted for any reason but it will not be damaged by such distortion.

Antenna wires III are preferably used in both the right and left running boards and are connected together by a cross wire l2, their rear ends 9 terminating near the rear ends of the boards and not connected to anything. The cross wire 12 is connected by lead-in wire I3 to the antenna terminal of the receiving set M. Wires l2 and i3 are preferably shielded by a metal armor or shield I5 which is grounded to the chassis frame by ground connection [6 to which the set I4 is also grounded. Thus wires l2 and I3 will be shielded against picking up noises from the electric systems of the vehicle and hence the only effective antenna wires will be the suitably and efficiently located flat wires I which are not shielded by any metal.

Fig. 2 illustrates metal shield 15 rubber boss 20 board by means of a small metal clamp ring 2| so that no water may enter "this joint; The ends of the fiat antenna wire In and the cross wire l2 may be simply twisted together or otherwise suitably connected and the connection insulated from the metal shield l by rubber tape or other simple means.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a running board for an autohow the outer ends of the may be suitably secured to the molded integral with the running automotive vehicle comprising an outer marginal reinforcing structural member of metal, a longitudinal jacent its outer edge, and a radio antenna elesaid slot and held flexibly said resilient rubber.

HARVEY D. GEYER.

2. In combination, a running board for an 

